European cruises?

Runcarla

DH has expressed an interest in doing a cruise. Specifically he has become enamoured of doing a Viking River cruise in late November/early December related to the European Christmas markets. We’ve never done a cruise, but when I did a triathlon in the Netherlands the team hotel was the SS Rotterdam (a ship hotel) so we aren’t unfamiliar with the constraints of a modest ‘stateroom’.

Has anyone on this forum ever done such a thing? What is your opinion of cruises? Does anyone have any experience with Viking river cruises?

9 months ago

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12 replies

Latest reply was from MsMary

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I haven't, but I have some young friends who did the river cruise for their honeymoon. Which was in November two years ago. They would have been the youngest people on the boat, by far. They had a fabulous time, and they managed not to get Covid, amazingly enough.

They like boats. (They own a share in a small sailboat, or did, until recently -- they may have sold the share because they are about to have a baby.) They like being on the water. They like meeting strangers. And they like moving from here to there. It works for them.

9 months ago

Inge

(website)

Moderator

Hi Carla,

No personal experience, but I know forum member Vicki (in California) has done at least one cruise with the Viking River company. I'm sure she'd be happy to give you more info.

9 months ago

April

Veteran

No experience here either since I can get a touch panicky when surrounded by water and Mr. A lives and breathes by the sea-kayakers rule: "the sea always wins." I would do a river cruise, which sounds far more friendly to me than an ocean crossing.

Yes, I am no help at all. But I would venture to say, RC, that your high level of discipline and organization when packing bodes quite well for cruise-related limitations such as tight quarters.

9 months ago

RobinF

Veteran

DH and I love to cruise but have never done a river cruise. We would love to. It is a nice way to see places without a lot of packing and driving and unpacking. We went on a Mediterranean cruise 9 years ago and it was one of our favorite vacations. Staterooms ARE small but usually well organized with lots of closet space and drawers.

9 months ago

MsMary

Veteran

My husband and I did a European river cruise a few years ago (Scenic, not Viking) and loved it. The stateroom was small but well-organized and it was great to be able to unpack only once and have the room move along with us as we traveled!

I will say that in my experience some of the excursions offered by the cruise company were a little pedestrian -- a lot of people on a bus -- and you might want to look into private guides through Viator or Tours By Locals dot com if you want a more personalized experience.

Also cruisecritic.com is a great resource for information about all things cruising.

9 months ago

Aquamarine

Veteran

A friend did a river cruise last year or the year before…can’t remember exactly. Enjoyed it but the itinerary had to change on the fly because the sweltering summer heat Europe has experienced the last few years meant parts of the river were no longer deep enough. The travelers had to take busses around in some areas. Can’t recall all the details but it wasn’t quite what they expected because of the weather/climate change.

9 months ago

avicennia

Veteran

I’ve a friend who had the same experience with Viking as Aquamarine’s friend. Having lived in Germany, I wouldn’t choose November/December (long nights and cold can curtail time for outings) unless I really wanted to see the Christmas markets.

9 months ago

Janet

(website)

Veteran

We did the Viking River cruise from Amsterdam to Basel with two dear friends last summer and loved it! And to be clear, we are NOT cruise people. The food was excellent, the service fantastic, and the scenery and history are fascinating. I recommend paying what seems like a lot extra for the more active excursions — bicycling through the windmills in the Netherlands, etc. You are active so I know you’d enjoy the activity, and those groups tend to be small and intimate and not the big-tour-bus crowd.

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9 months ago

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Also, I’ll add that we did a trip to Europe for Christmas a few years ago and went to Munich, Vienna, Prague, and Budapest — all were wonderful for the holidays! Not a cruise but a wonderful experience. We would do it again in a heartbeat.

We are also considering a Viking trip to Antarctica but are researching other options. Viking does a fabulous job in my opinion (but I have traveled to the polar regions with Quark Expeditions and Antarctica XXI which are less of a cruise experience than an expedition — more adventure, not luxurious, which is fine by me!).

9 months ago

phoebe

Active Member

As an up to now hard pass non cruiser Janet is making it sound very alluring

9 months ago

Joy

Veteran

A neighbor who was also a travel agent took a Viking River Cruise several years ago, came back unimpressed. The travel group went in the spring when the water was high, too high to get under bridges. People on the cruise were shuttled to the end by bus...missing all the castles on the Rhine... the main reason they were taking the cruise. Also, at that time rooms were below the water on the outside wall. People did not get much sleep because the boat was banging against the sides all night. I understand that is better now but the newer ships have tops that collapse so that no one and sit on the top deck and enjoy the scenery. Just so you know. Maybe someone who has cruised recently this way can update this.

9 months ago

MsMary

Veteran

Janet, we just got back from a Seabourn expedition cruise to Antarctica and can't recommend it highly enough. And make sure to do South Georgia Island and the Falklands while you're there!

8 months ago

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